ďI believe I can hit 18 greens, hit every fairway, you know ó Vision 54, which means you birdie every hole, thatís in the back of my mind. I want to putt better, chip better. That day when I hit 18 greens and one putt, Iíll know Iím a complete golfer. Will that ever happen? Iím not sure, but itís possible. The 54 vision is always in the back of my mind.Ē~Annika SŲrenstam

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Players from the Chinese badminton team are getting booted from the Olympics for intentionally throwing preliminary matches in an effort to make their path to the championship easier.

(Yes badminton is part of the Olympics!)

Wow Lundy, I'd almost take this as a personal slight if I cared enough about it. But I do like to make changes when peeps express displeasure at how I set up TDG. So this year we are doing away with the Prelims and just competing in 9 events, and that enables me to split the finals into 2 weekends.

But as far as the Olympic badminton controversy is concerned, I place the blame squarely on the way the badminton officials changed the rules of the competition. You do not want teams to play like crap in your competition then maybe you shouldn't adopt rules where it is a team's benefit to throw a match just so you can have more matches and sell more tickets...just sayin'

Hath this whole world been mired in madness?
Remain ye men of faculty complete,
Of full arithmetic and prudence fair,
Attending to our noble bond and contract?
Or does here stand the last remaining man
To give a fig for rules and order yet,
No noble savage, but a stave unbroken
Who loves the law and bids it no misdeed.
Iíll not be bent to lawlessness. Mark it nought, if we be men of honour.

Comment

I didn't see it as a slight against you, Jordan... as much as I saw it as a slight against those who would purposefully take a stroke or two to keep their rating low. That's how I saw it, anyway.

ďI believe I can hit 18 greens, hit every fairway, you know ó Vision 54, which means you birdie every hole, thatís in the back of my mind. I want to putt better, chip better. That day when I hit 18 greens and one putt, Iíll know Iím a complete golfer. Will that ever happen? Iím not sure, but itís possible. The 54 vision is always in the back of my mind.Ē~Annika SŲrenstam

Comment

Back to the TDG as Badminton analogy. Jordan I'm very excited about this season, The idea that a few sandbaggers (Not pointing at any one) will have to rethink there strategy, and maybe play to their own potential will just make it more interesting. Seems like every year it takes all the way to the last 2-3 events matches to have the handicaps be true. I think that means something was skewed in the ratings before. Downside is that new, legitimately high handicap players, will have to enter the group with a 1000 rating. I think that will be a big advantage to the teams returning with veteran players true to their handicaps.

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Wow Lundy, I'd almost take this as a personal slight if I cared enough about it.

Noooooooooo. This was not towards you. I just heard an interesting story with some some parallels to the throwing of TDG matches or strokes, not to mention one with several differing viewpoints on the subject.

I think I might refer to the throwing of matches as "Pulling a Chinese badminton" rather than sandbagging from here on out.

Comment

Noooooooooo. This was not towards you. I just heard an interesting story with some some parallels to the throwing of TDG matches or strokes, not to mention one with several differing viewpoints on the subject.

I think I might refer to the throwing of matches as "Pulling a Chinese badminton" rather than sandbagging from here on out.

No worries Lundy! We are good my friend.

It still surprises me that some people do not understand how handicapped stroke play works. It is not the same competition as an MPO throwdown at your local PDGA tourney. It isn't in your (or your team's) best interest to play your personal best round in the first week of the season. But a steady improvement event to event will give you a great chance to win each and every event.

In any game it is important to understand the rules and devise a strategy under those rules to give yourself the best chance to win. It seems that DMajor and I agree on this point.

And to BStullis: the big bad "communist" athletes are no worse then our own "capitalist pig-dog" athletes. You are one of the few that still believes in the fairy tale that any of these competitors are amateurs in any meaningful way you define that term. Way to keep drinking the cool-aid!

Workers of the world, unite!

Hath this whole world been mired in madness?
Remain ye men of faculty complete,
Of full arithmetic and prudence fair,
Attending to our noble bond and contract?
Or does here stand the last remaining man
To give a fig for rules and order yet,
No noble savage, but a stave unbroken
Who loves the law and bids it no misdeed.
Iíll not be bent to lawlessness. Mark it nought, if we be men of honour.

Comment

Noooooooooo. This was not towards you. I just heard an interesting story with some some parallels to the throwing of TDG matches or strokes, not to mention one with several differing viewpoints on the subject.

I think I might refer to the throwing of matches as "Pulling a Chinese badminton" rather than sandbagging from here on out.